


Dawning Light

by julesherondalex



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Hope, Humor, Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-04-19 16:09:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19136110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/julesherondalex/pseuds/julesherondalex
Summary: Elain won't let go of Azriel - literally.





	Dawning Light

**Author's Note:**

> Surprise :) hope you enjoy x

"You'll have to let me go at some point."

Elain wrapped herself even tighter around him. "No. Not going to happen."

Azriel sighed good-naturedly. "You know Cassian's waiting for me, right? He won't bother with decency. He'll just barge in here if I don't show up."

Elain snorted, locking her fingers together in a death grip around Azriel's neck. "Oh, he can go love himself. I'm not moving."

She could feel Azriel's smile against the top of her head when he brushed a kiss and went to rest his chin there.

"I could even come with you, like this," Elain mused, rubbing her cheek against his naked chest. A pleased sigh escaped her lips. "You wouldn't even notice me. I'll just act like I'm a part of your body. At least I know it better than my own." She tried not to grin like an idiot at her own suggestive remark. Something about being pressed close to Azriel made Elain incredibly two-minded. The male didn't seemed to find it too funny as he possessively tightened his arms around her back.

"No fucking way," he growled at her offer, ignoring its merely joking nature. "I would kill any of them laying their filthy eyes on you. I'll kill them, Elain. Without hesitation."

Shivers raked down Elain's back. Although they were none of fear.

"I know. There's no need to be jealous though," she assured him, pecking his collarbone. "I've been yours since the first night you kissed me. Even before that. I'm yours."

It was rather incredible how a male carved by ripped, hard muscles like Azriel could soften beneath her, and be as sweet as to kiss her brow again. Elain listened to his heartbeat for a few seconds, then hid her face in the skin of his chest.

"Is it wrong of me to like you this way? All worked up because of me?"

She listened to the deep rumble coming from within where she'd pressed her face close and practically felt herself heat up from inside. Hearing him laugh from down here wasn't so bad either.

Azriel's hands skimmed her sides, tickling her as they went. "Who are you and what have you done to my sweet wife?"

Elain squeaked and tried to out-wriggle his hands. She should have never told him of the places she was being ticklish in the first place – he used his fingers against her any chance he got. He used them _many_ ways.

There she went again with the innuendo.

"Your sweet wife has a streak for feeling powerful," she cheekily replied, grabbing for his hands. "And her sweet as honey husband always knows to make her feel that. She enjoys it _very_ much. Especially when he's this naked." Gods, he knew how to bring out the insolence within her, didn't he? She was enjoying herself too much to try to contain her bubbling laughter though.

Azriel pushed her up his body with ease, nibbling her ear as he brought her even closer to him. "I'd still much rather have my sweet but wicked wife stay here, safe in our home."

Elain stuck her tongue into his ear, making him squirm and duck away from her in laughter. She'd just licked his face and he laughed? She'd secured herself a goddamn miracle.

Before he could further move away from her, Elain wrapped her legs around him too, attaching herself to him like a koala clinging to a tree.

"Very well," she replied in mock arrogance. "Cass can try prying me from you then. I don't care."

Az huffed in amusement as he rolled over to his side, bringing his koala-wife with him in an attempt to make her comfortable even while she kept herself wrapped around him. Elain loved the way his strong arms kept her close, without any rush to head where Cassian was surely waiting on him.

Ever since Az and Elain had married and moved into their own home in the outskirts of Velaris, Azriel turned from the tense, over-punctual spymaster into the relaxed, openly affectionate male between her arms. Marriage had truly done wonders easing his mind off of the fear of losing her someday. Ever since she'd said _yes_ to him, Azriel had been a change male. He seemed to realize for the first time she was truly there to stay.

Elain hadn't known she could love him more than she already did until that day when she’d walked down the aisle.

She laid her head on her pillow now, bringing her face close to his and tightening her arms and legs around him more as if bracing for impact.

"Go ahead, try to leave," she dared, grinning brazenly. "You know of my stubborn streak by now. I won't let you."

Azriel effortlessly raised one of his brows and Elain instantly felt jealous of this valuable skill. "You're stubborn? I hadn't noticed," he dryly remarked.

Elain bit his chin in retaliation. Azriel answered by squeezing her ass.  

"Why do you have to go anyway?" the female pouted now, hooking her bare feet together. "It's not like Cassian wouldn't be able to handle those Illyrians on his own. I don't want you to leave."

Azriel sweetly pecked her nose. "I know, baby. I've dodged his request often enough now. I'll have to pay those bastards a visit every once in a while. As much as they hate us, they're also scared shitless once we show up together. They need to be reminded who's in charge. Now more than ever."

Elain's brow creased into a frown, she pressed closer to him until her lips reached his neck. "But that's why I don't want you to go," she murmured against his skin. "Hate can make even the softest hearts turn cruel. And Illyrians are filled by so much pride. I don't want them to hurt you." Not now, not when she'd had this particular vision a few days ago. Not _ever_.

Azriel's hands moved all the way up the column of her spine, moving her nightgown so the scars of his hands touched her naked back. Elain trembled beneath his fingers, even more so when his lips hovered over her shoulder, ghosting over the skin there. He rolled over again, draping his wife over his strong body and caressing her in soothing circles.

"Are you implying I'm not strong enough to face them, my flower? I'm wounded by your lack of trust in my abilities."

One of Elain's hands reluctantly let go of their death grip around his neck, feeling for his hard chest and the set of tight abs beneath her wriggling body. Her voice deepened as she said, "I know very well what you are capable of, Shadowsinger. They're right to be scared. They're right to watch your every step even though they'd only set themselves up to failure."

She trailed languid kisses up from the hinge of his jaw to his chin with every word and delighted in his surprised intake of breath.

The rest of the world could be fearing her shadowsinger but Elain left him breathless within seconds.

The spark of power that coursed her veins at the thought made her push herself up on his chest, straddling his sprawled body on their bed.

Elain kissed her way up his pectorals until she reached the hollow of his throat; Az's fingers squeezed her bare sides when Elain pressed a sweet kiss to his Adam's apple.

She propped her elbow up next to his head, lowering herself until she could stare down at him lovingly.

"It's just this irrational fear of having you slip through my fingers," she admitted, stroking his collarbones. "I don't like being separated from you. I don't want to lose you, Az."

Azriel stared at her, eyes softening despite the heat of desire in them. He grabbed her left hand between his, kissing her knuckles and the golden wedding band once.

"You'll never lose me, Elain. I am bound to you as you are to me. As long as you'll allow me, I'll be your shadow. _From now until beyond time_ , remember? I'll be with you for evermore."

He definitely deserved a kiss for that.

_Two_ , he deserved two. He deserved infinite kisses but Elain managed to break away after the tenth.

"You are more than my shadow, you know that. What did I tell you?" she chaffed him, a little breathlessly, nudging his jaw with her nose.

Azriel grinned now, cheeks heating slightly as he parroted away like she'd made him so many times already. "I am your sun, your stars and the light of your life. Like that?"

Despite his amused tone those hazel eyes were shining bright as always when she reminded him of that truth. Because it _was_ true. He was all her dreams finding purchase within reality, and how could this thing between them be anything but an all-encompassing light within this world of cruel darkness?

"Just like that." Elain wriggled even closer, once again winding her arms and legs around his neck and hips. "So it's settled then, you're going nowhere."

Before she could foresee any of it, Azriel had her pinned beneath him in an instant, staring down at her through predator eyes. He brought his lips close to her own, making Elain lift her chin out of reflex and memories of hundreds of shared kisses resurfaced by the shape of his lips.

He didn't kiss her though, only teased her with his breath and drew back.

Before she could protest, his lips came to hover over her cheekbone, again, barely grazing her skin and poising over her jaw, her chin. Elain only then realized he was doing it on purpose, teasing her like she'd teased him. But this was dozen times worse.

" _Az_ ," she whined, trying to catch his mouth with her lips. After all this time her heart still beat painfully fast within the confinement of her chest at the prospect of his touch. She wondered if it would always be like this, all-consuming and tampering with her senses. If her heart would always be too big for her chest, filled by this love towards her incredible husband.

Elain could barely think straight when Az was this close, when he made her go mad with want; she couldn't recognize the girl she'd once been. Elain had thrived into a mad-woman under Azriel's mere fingers. His eyes alone could make her hot with energy.

"You wicked, lustful thing. Haven't you had enough of my touch already? I recall our night ending barely a few hours ago. But look," he brushed a finger over her quivering body, making her whimper. "Look how much you desire me."

His eyes were viciously black as he lowered herself on top of her awaiting, hot skin.

"Don't go," Elain managed to voice through the cloud of desire, the temptation his naked skin brought into existence.

Azriel must know her thoroughly to have noticed the tiny brokenness in her tone, the fraction of desperation and emotion tightening her throat. He drew back a little, concern sparking his eyes. Compared to how he used to hide his emotions as quick as he could when they'd first gotten to know each other, the openness within his gaze and his lowered walls made Elain want to tear up.

What they had was incomparable and nature all the same.

Azriel searched her face in silence and Elain didn't bother to try hiding there was indeed something else on her mind. Something that made it harder for her to let him go.

Her husband leaned on his arm, slightly pulling back to brush a strand of hair from Elain's face and trace the line of her jaw to her lips.

"Tell me," he requested softly.

"I really don't want you to go," Elain whispered to him, not being able to meet his eyes for the moment being. She knew she would not be able to hide her vision from him but how would he react? All but once Elain felt tension churning her stomach. She hadn't felt this nervous for years, with things always being so easy between them, like second nature.

Elain considered herself incredibly lucky, for one of Azriel's strengths was tireless patience. He waited for her to continue without making her feel like being pressured into talking. That was a skill in itself.

"I … had a vision."

She felt Az tensing and immediately brought her gaze back to his, knowing he calmed by the contact of their eyes. She stroked the skin of his bicep, then fitted her thumb into the hollow beneath his lips.

"Not those of war or menace like I used to. This one was different.

"I saw us," she started, once again feeling the hope of something undying in its love, a feeling so deeply rooted within her being she couldn't help but light up from inside. A feeling brand-new. "The scene was all blurry and uncertain, as if not set into stone yet. But I knew immediately what it was."

Elain blushed despite being used to the weight of her unclothed husband on top of her. "I saw us like this, naked and glowing. I think … I think you were making love to me and then – I don't know what it was. Light seemed to flood us as if reaching all over until it was too hard for me to see anymore."

Elain shook out of the memory of her vision and caught Azriel's attentive gaze. She bit her lip and said, "Then I saw a lotus blossom."

Azriel's face didn't lose its pensive expression. "A lotus?"

Elain's throat felt very dry all of a sudden.

"I knew what it meant but I still researched its meaning in the library. I just … I needed to make sure."

"Make sure of what?" Azriel was visibly tense now.

"That what it represents was … Az, the lotus means fertility," Elain swallowed hard. "I think I saw us making a baby."

Silence.

"A baby."

Elain recognized the shock in his features, the stunned silence. She knew he needed time to process what she'd said but she also couldn't help but feel nervous and _yearning_. If having a baby even felt remotely what her vision had been like … it was her hearts truest wish.

She couldn't help but ask. "Did you ever thought about having your own children?"

Azriel opened his mouth, then closed it. He seemed at a loss for words. Something about his reaction made Elain's gut sink in disappointment.

"I … I don't know," he finally began. "I didn't even thought about marrying until I met you. It just didn't seem very likely for me to end up being happy enough to have children."

Azriel sunk into the bed, staring up at the ceiling of their bedroom.

" _My_ baby," she heard him breathe.

Elain rolled over to her side and searched his face. What was he thinking? She usually didn't need much to know. But this was so sensitive, so delicate – Elain was afraid to read Azriel.

She shouldn't have worried at all, because as soon as that sweet tenderness, an incredible fragileness, entered Azriel's face, she knew. _She knew._

"You are not joking, are you Elain?" he whispered, voice so soft Elain feared it might scatter into tiny tender petals.

She shook her head, tears already blurring her vision. "I'm not," she whispered, meeting his gaze as he searched for the truthfulness within her expression. He found it.

"Elain." He didn't seem to know words beyond her name. " _Elain_."

Elain moved on top of him once more, feeling like she needed to be closer than ever. They stared at each other, speechless.

"Me? A father?" Azriel's eyes were blown wide, his cheeks flushed. The reality of her vision sinking in by the second.

"It isn't settled yet. And we don't have to be–" Elain attempted just to be cut off by her husband who seemed to have awoken from a slumber of dizziness.

"Do you want to? Would you want to carry _my_ child?"

Her heart broke at the incredulity of his tone, the disbelief in his eyes. After all this time he still doubted himself. He still worried he might not be good enough.

Elain cupped his face between her small hands.

"Az … Az, I love you. _Of course_. There's nothing that would make me happier than having another piece of you to love. A piece of both of us."

A teary laugh brimmed over before Elain could stop it from escaping her lips.

"Az, we could have a baby. Be mother and father of _our child_."

It was as if something broke within him, for Az surged in and kissed her lips as if trying to taste those words right from their source.

He laughed against her, with her, and sweet murmurings passed his lips of how _incredible_ and _perfect_ she was _,_ how much he _loved_ her _,_ how he couldn't wait for them to have kids _– kids_ – and if she thought their child would have his wings. He coddled her, cradled her in his arms, sweet like a baby as if she had magically gotten pregnant _now_.

Elain couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time, kissing him so hard her mouth hurt. And she had never been surer of something than this, than her husband and the family she would have with him. Elain couldn’t fathom their happiness when she and Az would get to hold their baby in their arms if they could love it so much already.

And when eventually Cassian did barge into their room, he only found the remaining sliver of shadows trailing over the bed where Az and Elain had once laid.

The Commander groaned and rolled his eyes as he left, not noticing the kernel of pure, golden light within the remaining shadows.

Only the seer and the shadowsinger knew the light of innocence was born that day, forever claiming the sun with all its shadows, changing their hearts for evermore.


End file.
